SUMMARY It begins as an assignment for English class: Write a letter to a dead person. Laurel chooses Kurt Cobain because her sister, May, loved him. And he died young, just like May did. Soon, Laurel has a notebook full of letters to people like Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse, Amelia Earhart, Heath Ledger, and more; though she never gives a single one of them to her teacher.

She writes about starting high school, navigating new friendships, falling in love for the first time, learning to live with her splintering family. And, finally, about the abuse she suffered while May was supposed to be looking out for her. Only then, once Laurel has written down the truth about what happened to herself, can she truly begin to accept what happened to May. And only when Laurel has begun to see her sister as the person she was; lovely and amazing and deeply flawed; can she begin to discover her own path.

Love Letters To The Dead was a heartbreaking but also most anticipated novel, of 2014. I was drawn to it right away. Not just by the title and the cover but the story, it was unlike any story I read before. The title itself had my attention. Love Letter To The Death how can that not make your curious? It’s what got my attention and made me want to pick up the book. Once I did, I ended up loving it more than I thought that I would. From the first page I had a feeling that it was going be a novel that I love. I was right. Love Letters To The Dead was filled with so many emotions, when Laurel spilled them out through her letters. I cried several times through the novel, the character felt so real to me. There were times I wished I could reach out, hug Laurel. Her letters were heartbreaking.

I loved the idea of this novel; it was unlike other novel I read. Letters to the deceased celebrities, now that’s something new and that’s what I loved about it. I even learned a bit of their early life, all through Laurel’s letters. I felt like I got to know them more than I did before. Even all of those were deceased, the way that Laurel wrote to them, spoke to them, gave me a feeling like they were still alive. Though I never lost a sibling, I did lose my grandparents who I was close to, so in a way I could relate to how Laurel was feeling, how lost she must felt when she lost May. Most of the book I knew she was hiding something, I just had that feeling and I was curious how May actually died. Some of letters were so emotional, I felt myself tearing up right away. It felt real. The characters, the story.

Her friends, Sky was the people who I think helped her, in a way. Helped her heal. Right from the start I saw the connection between Sky and Laurel, of course I wasn’t too happy how he broke up with her first time. I wondered if he truly loved her, but then I saw that he did. Romance between the two of them was touching, even if it wasn’t main focus of the book. As for Natalie & Hannah, I was glad that she found them, that she made some friends. They were true friend, because even after the truth came out, they stood by her side till the end.

It’s hard for me to believe this was her first novel, it was so well written. One of the best debut novels of 2014. I got a feeling that this author going go a long way. I can’t wait to see what story she comes up with next. Love Letters To Dead is one of most touching, and a story that will stay with me.